Seth did come over to her as she walked the perimeter of the house, inspecting the job intently.
“It'l be smooth as a baby's bottom. Don't worry," he said.
“I'm not. It looks fine." Pix believed in credit where credit was due.
“We're working on the stairs to the beach today. If the weather holds, we should be able to strip the forms and start framing the floor by Thursday, maybe even Wednesday. The wood's already cut and Barton's is holding everything for me—nice number-two Douglas fir.”
Pix nodded. Maybe this wasn't going to be Mr.
Blandings' dream house after al . Maybe Seth would come through.
“The family is some upset about Aunt Addie. Don't understand why Earl had to get al hot and bothered. There was no need to get Augusta involved. Gorry, we'l be lucky to have the funeral by Labor Day." Seth sounded extremely annoyed.
Pix's recent wel -being vanished.
“He had to cal the state police. Rebecca never saw the quilt before—and it was a red-and-white one, just like the one here." She had been consciously trying not to recal what had recently lain beneath the surface of the ground now covered by the gray concrete.
“Rebecca doesn't know the color of the blanket on her own bed once she's out of it. No, Earl had no right to ship Addie off for them to cut up. He's been watching too much TV. This is Sanpere, not New York City.”
Seth had bent down and picked up a stick. He was poking the ground ferociously with it as they walked. Pix made sure to keep wel to one side.
She could understand why Adelaide Bainbridge's relatives might be upset, but surely they wanted to find out what had happened. She made a mental note to ask Ursula what she'd heard about their reactions through the island grapevine.
Pix tactful y changed the subject. "It's going to be lonely for Rebecca in the house now, but I suppose she'l keep running the bed-and-breakfast."
“Wel , she may not be there for long," Seth stopped stirring up the dust with the stick and gave it one final shove, driving it into the soil. "She has life tenancy under Addie's wil , unless she's found unable to be left on her own, and that seems pretty certain."
“Where wil she go and who wil get the house then?" If you didn't ask, you didn't find out.
Seth did not seem too concerned about Rebecca's future and Pix realized that of course Addie was the relation and Rebecca merely a distant in-law to some one of Seth's parents or grandparents.
“Probably a nursing home on the mainland or maybe one of the Bainbridges in Granvil e wil have her. The house wil be sold and the whole kit and caboodle gets divided in equal shares”
Given what Addie's quilts sold for plus the value of the lovely old house and barn, it would add up to quite a caboodle, Pix figured.
She had the answer to one question at least.
Seth Marshal , unaware that his name had just been starred under two columns, cal ed to his crew to get back to work.
“I'd love to chat with you some more, but I wouldn't want you to think we were wasting time." He smiled warmly to soften his sarcasm. It almost worked. He real y was attractive, particularly at the moment, stripped to the waist because of the heat, his skin glistening slightly with sweat.
Maybe Jil was tired of good old Earl and wanted a fling with bad old Seth.
“I have to get going, anyway," she said. "If Jil can find someone to cover the store, we're going to drive up to Bar Harbor." She decided not to get too specific about what she intended to do. She needn't have bothered to be circumspect.
“Yup, so I hear. Going antiquing, right?”
Pix's mouth dropped. He laughed. "Heard it on the CB
just before you drove up. Jil 's got one of the Ames kids. I heard her asking her dad if she could do it."
“There are no secrets on this island," Pix remarked.
“Oh, I don't know about that," Seth said as he walked toward his crew, the sound of their hammers ricocheting in the stil air. "I'd say there were plenty.”
Doris Ames was sitting at the register reading the latest issue of the National Inquirer, and from the speed at which she was chewing her gum, Pix suspected the story was more racy than some of the fare: MOM SELLS
KIDNEY TO BUY FURNITURE or SPACE ALIEN BABY
FOUND ON MOUNT EVEREST-MEDICAL DR. SAYS
NOT HUMAN.
“Oh, hi, Mrs. Mil er. Jil has been trying to get a hold of you. She's upstairs."
“I'l go on up, then. How's everything with you this summer?"
“I can't complain. Making good money and don't have to work days." Pix remembered that one of the Ames girls was waitressing at the inn, which was only open for dinner, and it must be Doris.
“I hear the food is even better than last year.”
Doris made a face. "It's too fancy for me. I like to recognize what's on my plate. I eat at home before I start.”
Pix laughed. "Wel , maybe some of it is an acquired taste." She decided to take Ursula and Samantha to the inn soon, al three of them having acquired a taste for any and al good food.
Jil had a snug little apartment over the store. Pix walked up the outside stairs and knocked at the door.
Hearing no reply, she pushed it open, stepping inside. She could hear water running and Jil had obviously decided to take a quick shower while waiting for Pix.
“Jil ," she cal ed loudly, not wanting to startle her when she emerged. "It's me, Pix."
“Oh great," Jil replied above the noise of the spray. "I'l be out in a minute. I just had to cool off.”
The apartment was divided into two large rooms plus bath. The front room was Jil 's bedroom and the larger back room served as living room, dining room, kitchen, and storage for the overflow from the store. There were several large boxes in the corner by the door, but this wasn't what caught Pix's eye. She was struck by the change in the room's decor since she'd been there last summer. Jil had been buying a great many antiques over the course of the year and the Goodwil finds spruced up with paint and fabric that had previously fil ed the room were mostly gone.
An Early American cupboard with open shelves on top stood against one wal , behind a trestle table and chairs from the same period. Pix walked over to take a closer look. She wondered whether Jil had gotten the things from Mitch. Spying a pumpkin pine stand that would make a perfect bedside table, she also wondered whether these things were for sale. She tripped on one of the uneven floorboards and her hip bumped into the corner of the cupboard. Jil 's apartment had original y been used for storage by the cobbler's shop below and the floor had never been finished off. One of the cupboard doors flew open. Pix bent down to close it, rubbing her hipbone, which, with little cushioning, smarted sharply.
She didn't close the door; rather, opened it wider. The shelves were fil ed with various items: some wonderful folk art carvings, especial y one who looked like one of the prophets; miniature furniture—the kind that used to be carried around as samples; and several patchwork quilts.
The shower was stil running. Pix was sure Jil wouldn't mind if she looked at the quilts. At least that's what she told herself. Her self also wondered what they were doing up here instead of down in the store, where they would certainly attract buyers. For that matter, al the things in the cupboard would. Perhaps Jil was saving these things for herself.
Pix careful y removed the top quilt and opened it up. It was an appliqué sampler quilt, every square a different wreath or bouquet and intricately quilted. The quilt-maker had used red, green, yel ow, and white. It was museum-quality. The shower stopped and Pix started to cal out her appreciation, but her words froze in her throat as her eyes moved down to the lower corner. Moved down to a tiny, barely perceptible blue cross.